Jan. 1849. SIKKIM MONASTERIES. 365 



the genius of Kinchinjunga, by holding it as a festival of 

 the church throughout Sikkim.* 



The two Catsuperri temples occupy a spur 445 feet above 

 the lake, and 6,485 feet above the sea; they are poor, 

 and only remarkable for a miserable weeping-willow tree 

 planted near them, said to have been brought from Lhassa. 

 The monks were very civil to me, and offered amongst 

 other things a present of excellent honey. One was an 

 intelligent man, and gave me much information : he told 

 me that there were upwards of twenty religious establish- 

 ments in Sikkim, containing more than 1000 priests. These 

 have various claims upon the devout: thus, Tassiding, 

 Doobdi, Changachelling, and Pemiongchi, are celebrated for 

 their antiquity, and the latter also for being the residence of 

 the head Lama ; Catsuperri for its lake ; Raklang for its size, 

 &c. All are under one spiritual head, who is the Tupgain 

 Lama, or eldest son of the Rajah ; and who resides at the 

 Phadong convent, near Tumloong : the Lama of Pemiongchi 

 is, however, the most highly respected, on account of his age, 

 position, and sanctity. Advancement in the hierarchy is 

 dependent chiefly on interest, but indirectly on works also ; 

 pilgrimages to Lhassa and Teshoo Loombo are the highest of 



* On that occasion an invocation to the mountain is chanted by priests and 

 people in chorus. Like the Lama's address to the genius of Catsuperri lake, its 

 meaning, if it ever had any, is not now apparent. It runs thus : — 

 " Kan chin -jinga, Pemi Kadup 



Gnetche Tangla, Dursha tember 



Zu jinga Pemsum Serkiem 



Dischze Kubra Kanchin tong." 

 This was written for me by Dr. Campbell, who, like myself, has vainly sought its 

 solution ; it is probably a mixture of Tibetan and Lepcha, both as much corrupted 

 as the celebrated " Om mani padmi hoom," which is universally pronounced by 

 Lepchas " Menny pemmy hoom." This reminds me that I never got a solution of 

 this sentence from a Lama, of whatever rank or learning ; and it was only 

 after incessant inquiry, during a residence of many years in Nepal, that Mr. 

 Hodgson at last procured the interpretation, or rather paraphrase: "Hail to 

 him°(Sakya) of the lotus and the jewel," which is very much the same as 

 M. Klaproth and other atithorities have given. 



